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The United Kingdom’s coffee industry is facing a scarcity of baristas as it grows at a fast pace, according to a recent report.
The report, published by market research company Allegra World Coffee Portal and The London Coffee Festival, found that over 6,500 new coffee shops are estimated to open all over the United Kingdom by 2023. As there was a rise in the coffee industry’s value to £10.1 billion last year following an increase in the demand for coffee in the region, the industry is expected to face shortages of baristas in the coming years.
In order to meet the increasing demand for coffee within the next four years, shops will need to employ 40,000 new baristas. At present, there are about 160,000 baristas employed in the United Kingdom. However, the report claims that this figure may decrease following Brexit, the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union (EU).
Leaders in the coffee industry are concerned because Brexit may have a detrimental effect on the industry. They believe that it will be more difficult to entice foreign workers because of the looming problems concerning immigrants’ work permits. This is particularly alarming since according to a representative of a major UK coffee and food shop, most of their potential employees are from EU countries.
In view of the new report, Allegra Group CEO Jeffrey Young agrees that the number of baristas joining the profession should be aligned with the coffee industry’s growth. To achieve this, he proposed to make the profession more attractive. According to Young, people should view the profession as a high-skilled job that requires extensive understanding and expertise.